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Data Platform Modernization: Our Transformation to Cloud

In this interview, we speak with Jonas Blomqvist and Vishal Gangapuram! As experienced leaders, Jonas and Vishal are playing a key role in driving the modernization of Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) data and analytics platforms.

At the 10th jubilee edition of the Data Innovation Summit 2025, they will take the stage. Their presentation, covering data platform modernization, will offer valuable insights into the topic.

In this interview, they discuss the challenges of combining legacy systems with modern cloud capabilities, emphasizing the importance of governance and change management. Aligning technical architecture with business goals is another key theme.

Jonas and Vishal share their roadmap, along with valuable lessons and practical advice for organizations on similar data transformation journeys.

Hyperight: Can you tell us about your journeys into working with analytics and data (Jonas), and data architecture (Vishal)? What inspired you to pursue a career in these fields?

Jonas Blomqvist, speaker at the upcoming Data Innovation Summit 2025
Jonas Blomqvist, speaker at the upcoming Data Innovation Summiti 2025

Jonas Blomqvist: For me, my career has never been planned but instead I’ve let my interests in combination with given opportunities lead the way.

When thinking way back, I remember I enjoyed the DB modelling and querying part when I developed and customized content management systems back in early 2000. That led to me becoming involved in business intelligence (BI) related initiatives working with data warehouses and OLAP solutions.

After almost 15 years as a consultant within this area, I decided to pursue a career as a line manager. After 10 years, I still enjoy doing what I do and there are always new things to learn and do. The pace is high and the scope and use-cases that a department like ours need to support increases over time. One of the things I really enjoy, and what probably kept me working with analytics & data, is to be able to combine my technical know-how with my understanding of core business processes and strategies to create value that can make a difference.

Vishal Gangapuram, speaker at the upcoming Data Innovation Summit 2025
Vishal Gangapuram, speaker at the upcoming Data Innovation Summit 2025

Vishal Gangapuram: I started my career as a Web Developer, but destiny had different plans for me. I worked as a Data Engineer for several years, and eventually grew as a Data Architect.

It’s always interesting to work with enterprise data warehouses as you get the opportunity to tap into almost all data and information that is produced during different processes in an organization. More than tools and technologies, it was amazing when I realized the opportunities and value that can be created out of data.

When it comes to working with data, there’s always more to be done! I always find new opportunities and the scope to learn & grow is extremely high.

Hyperight: At the Data Innovation Summit 2025, you will talk about data platform modernization and supporting cloud capabilities with legacy platforms. What can the delegates expect from your presentation?

Jonas & Vishal: We aim to give the audience an honest and transparent story about our journey and lessons learned. The idea with two presenters includes several dimensions of what organizations need to succeed in implementing a modern data platform.

Hyperight: Can you walk us through the current roadmap for SAS’s data platform modernization? What are some key milestones you’ve achieved so far?

Jonas & Vishal: Our journey of modernizing SAS’s data platform began in 2020. We managed to create the reference architecture and platform in the cloud, which we believe works for SAS.

So far, with the help of multiple data product teams, we’ve ingested and modeled the core data domains. These include booking, revenue, flight operations, crew planning, customer service, availability, and passenger forecasts. We’ve made all this data available to the business through our cloud-based analytics platform.

We now focus on building enterprise-level business intelligence (BI) datasets. Our goal is to ensure data quality, establish clear ownership, and eliminate redundancies. While our main objective is to make as much data as possible available through our cloud-based analytics platform, we also prioritize keeping our technical architecture up to date. This includes updating tools and technologies whenever necessary.

Hyperight: Jonas, with your two decades of experience in the data industry, what challenges have you encountered when modernizing data platforms?

Jonas Blomqvist: One obvious challenge is managing the necessary changes to fully realize the value of your investments. Removing old solutions and platforms is easier said than done, especially when they’ve been heavily customized over the years. As a manager, I must consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). It’s important to consolidate platforms and build efficient enterprise solutions that provide data for various use cases. All while maintaining high standards of data quality, security, and maintainability.

Hyperight: Vishal, what are some key challenges you encountered while integrating new cloud capabilities with legacy platforms? How did you overcome them?

Vishal Gangapuram: It’s not always a smooth journey when a legacy data platform serves a large number of users with multiple dependencies. Revisiting the core principles and purpose of the data platform is crucial. This has been key to our success so far.

Choosing the right technical stack and architecture is a challenge when technology is evolving continuously. We believe we set up the right structure after understanding how data is used within the organization, by users, and across different use cases.

It’s crucial to understand the data itself and its usage patterns. This helps avoid overcomplicating the design and ensures we choose the right path without compromising on data architecture principles.

Hyperight: Jonas, from your perspective, what are some of the most critical governance practices that have contributed to a smoother transition to cloud-based platforms?

Jonas: Early on, we decided to set up data teams that work closely with our business stakeholders. This ensures we prioritize the data domains and solutions that provide the most value. Additionally, having a strong central team to offer guidance and support has been crucial for securing long-term platform objectives. This close cooperation has also helped us manage impact and drive change effectively.

Hyperight: Vishal, as a Data Architect, how do you ensure the technical architecture and roadmap align with the organization’s broader business goals?

Vishal: Technology plays a crucial role in driving business success in today’s fast-paced digital world. It is very important to have a clear understanding of the requirements, stakeholders, priorities, and business goals. This will help us assess the technical architecture and set clear objectives for what we need from a technological standpoint.

Having a clear understanding of business needs helps identify gaps in the architecture. It also allows us to find efficient and effective solutions that align with business objectives.

Hyperight: Looking ahead, what are some key priorities or innovations you envision for SAS’s data platforms? How do you plan to keep pace with the rapid advancements in cloud and analytics technologies?

Jonas & Vishal: A perhaps boring answer is to believe in our plans and only allow small deviations from the chosen path. It’s easy to spend too much time on following trends and trying to build the perfect platform. What we need to focus on is to continue to support all our stakeholders with data, tools and insights needed to make SAS an even more competitive and profitable Airline.

Jonas Blomqvist & Vishal Gangapuram Presenting at Data Innovation Summit 2025
Photo by Hyperight AB® / All rights reserved.

Don’t miss Jonas and Vishal’s insightful presentation at the Data Innovation Summit 2025! They will dive deeper into their experiences with data platform modernization and share strategies for integrating cloud capabilities with legacy systems. Join them to learn from their journey, gain valuable insights, and discover how to successfully navigate your data transformation.

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